Frozen Fairy Tail
by AdorkableAriadne
Summary: AU. Magic has been outlawed in Arendelle for centuries, and is punishable by death, which is why it's so important that Elsa suppress her magic. Makarov is called upon to visist Arendelle to negotiate an alliance, the King of Fiore asking him to bring a few members of Fairy Tail. Elsa's magic surfaces during the ball, it's up to Fairy Tail to save her from her own people & herself.
1. Author's Note

I don't own Fairy Tail or Frozen.

If you are a big Juvia fan, this is not the story for you. If you are a Gruvia shipper, this is not the story for you. She'll have a much smaller role in this universe.

The Frozen characters may come off as OOC, since I'm placing them in a different environment, especially Elsa. In fact, I'm more borrowing her name and likeness and using it as a basis for an OC. The prologue takes place a year before Lucy joins Fairy Tail. Elsa is seventeen and Anna is fifteen.

Eventual Elsa x Gray, but (very) slow burn, because let's face it, pretty much all of Fairy Tail's guild members are idiots when it comes to their feelings for each other, and are even worse about ADMITING those feelings.

Rated T for language, and canon compliant violence.

I'm not sure how often I'll update this, but I'll **TRY** to get at least two chapters up a month.


	2. Prologue Part 1

For the First Time in Forever

"I still don't understand why I have to be there," Elsa complained as her mother made last minute adjustments to her daughters' dresses.

"Oh, come on, Elsa, aren't you excited?" Anna exclaimed, but then gasped sharply as her mother tightened the strings of her corset. Her smile returned after a deep exhale. The lady's maid helped Anna into her dress, careful to avoid mussing Anna's pristine hairstyle.

"The gates haven't been open in years!" Anna said happily.

"Hold still, Anna," Queen Iduna said, smiling at her youngest daughter.

"And you know why you have to be there, Elsa," she said, flashing her eldest daughter a stern look as she helped with the buttons on the back of Anna's dress.

"Your father has been working very hard with parliament for this trade alliance. This agreement with Ishgar is paramount," she went on, despite having explained it several times.

"As heir, Elsa, you should take this seriously. It shows that Arendelle is serious about the negotiations, and it shows that you are serious about upholding the alliance once you are queen," her mother said, making Elsa sigh and tug her gloves further up her arms. A slight chill seeped into the room.

"You look beautiful, Anna," Queen Iduna told her youngest daughter, who smiled sheepishly, her cheeks turning the same red as her hair.

"Let me speak with your sister alone," Iduna said, gently cupping Anna's face briefly.

"Yes, Mother," Anna said, giving a small curtsy as her mother's hand fell away. She offered her sister a meek smile and Elsa returned it briefly before her serious expression returned. Anna left alongside the lady's maid, closing the door behind them.

"Elsa, you have to remain calm," Iduna said, her expression worrisome.

"I'm trying, Mother," Elsa assured her, despite the decreasing temperature in the room.

"It's more important than ever for you to control your powers," the Queen told her, holding her daughter's shoulders.

"I'm _trying_ ," Elsa repeated, "It's not easy, even with the gloves."

"I know," Iduna said with a sigh, "I know how hard you try."

"I just don't understand why I'm even still heir," Elsa pressed, the fears that had been eating at her finally spilling from her lips. Her mother looked surprised, her hands falling from Elsa's shoulders.

"Anna should be the heir," Elsa said as snowflakes began to swirl in the room.

"Elsa," her mother said, reaching out to her daughter once more, but Elsa took a step back.

"Don't," Elsa whispered, holding her hands together against her chest, knowing she wasn't fully in control at the moment.

"I'm never going to be," she started, " _Normal._ "

"I don't deserve to be Arendelle's queen," Elsa told her mother, tears brimming her eyes, the flurries of snow multiplying.

" _Elsa_ ," her mother said sternly, making her snap her attention to her mother. Her welling tears subsided, Elsa pushing them back and straightening herself once more, but snow continued to float around the room.

"You know we can't just skip you in the line of succession," Iduna said, "What would people think? They're already suspicious since we closed the castle gates." Iduna grabbed Elsa's shoulders roughly, forcing her to turn towards her.

"Listen to me," Iduna said, holding Elsa's eyes with her own, "They will kill you. Do you understand that? They will destroy this family, and our legacy. You have to control it. For yourself. For your family. For the future of Arendelle." Elsa nodded shakily. Her mother released her and turned her back to her. Elsa straightened herself and took a few deep breaths, closing her eyes as she counted backwards from ten. When she opened her eyes, the snow had disappeared.

"Very good, Elsa," her mother told her, "We'll be greeting Ishgar's dignitaries in the courtyard. Compose yourself further if need be, but be downstairs in no more than fifteen minutes."

"Yes, Mother," Elsa said softly. Her mother didn't turn to look at her as she left the room.

* * *

"This feels like a terrible idea," Gray muttered to his colleagues. He stood rigidly still in the courtyard of Arendelle's royal castle, hands behind his back, one hand clasping his other wrist. He was flanked by ambassadors from all over Ishgar. Most held prestigious titles, either direct relation to royalty, or members of government, but Fiore had different plans for it's representation. Arendelle, an island nation to Ishgar's north, had proposed a trade agreement and peace alliance with the continent, hoping to bring about prosperity to the nations and had asked each country to send ambassadors to a summit, where negotiations for the agreements could be dictated.

Makarov, the guild master of Fairy Tail, and one of the Ten Wizard Saints, stood to Gray's left. He'd been summoned by the king of Fiore himself and propositioned.

"I'm honored, Your Grace," Makarov told King Toma, "but why me?"

"Arendelle's laws against magic are archaic," he told him, "I want to see if they can truly put aside their prejudices against magic and it's wielders, for if they cannot, an alliance cannot truly be wrought."

"I understand," Makarov said, "However, there are mages greater than I, perhaps one on the Magic Council?" The King smiled at the old man's hesitation, but shook his head, standing and stepping towards Makarov to place a hand on his shoulder.

"I want you and a few of your Fairy Tail mages to go. Make sure they are ones you trust, and I will trust your judgment. I want them to see those who truly use magic for their lively hood, to see the real people of this nation and not some bureaucrat," the king had explained.

Makarov glanced up at Gray now, sharing the boy's sentiments. He'd chosen Gray and Erza to accompany him on the trip, trusting the two to behave themselves. He'd originally thought to bring Laxus, but he'd been so distant and headstrong as of late. Gray had his own faults, but he was respectful and would understand the importance of the summit. And of course, Erza Scarlet he trusted above all others in his guildhall. The red-haired warrior stood to Gray's right looking stoic and beautiful in her gown. The king had clothes tailored for them for the event. To just the eye, they looked like all of the other dignitaries, though Gray and Erza were much younger than the others certainly.

Gray was sensing Makarov's nervousness, despite how outwardly calm the master seemed, and it was making him nervous as well.

"I trust the king's wishes," Makarov said barely above a whisper. Gray sighed. They'd already had the conversation several times. First when Makarov had approached Gray and Erza, asking them to join him, again before boarding the ship, and several times during the journey here. There was no point in talking about it again, especially here.

Gray shifted his weight to the other leg, and just as he was wondering how much longer the royals would make them wait, the doors to the palace opened.

"Dignitaries! Ladies and gentleman, His Grace, King Agnarr of Arendelle," a man called out the introductions, "And Her Highness, Queen Iduna!" A tall blonde man stepped from the palace, his wife at his side. The king and queen seemed almost too perfect. Both attractive, elegant, and graceful as they greeted the ambassadors, their own parliament, and the citizens who'd come to see the festivities. The king seemed kind, yet had a commanding presence, but Gray was unimpressed. He'd wanted to be impartial, had wanted to be uncaring, but when he thought about Arendelle's harsh laws on magic, he felt his blood boiling. This king hadn't been the one to pass the anti-magic laws, but he upheld them, and that was enough for Gray to be biased.

"I'd also like to introduce my daughters," the king called out after a small speech, "Princess Elsa, heir of Arendelle, and Princess Anna!" The two girls who emerged from the palace seemed like opposites, Gray thought, almost too different to even be sisters.

Both were beautiful, each had narrow jaw lines and high cheek bones. Both had small, slightly upturned noses and full lips. Both had large, strikingly blue eyes. That was were their similarities ended.

Anna wore a black and green dress that complimented her sun-kissed, freckled skin, sheer sleeves hanging from her shoulders, leaving her arms and chest bared to the warm air. Elsa's skin was snow white, but her face was all that was left bare. Her dress was teal and black, covering from her neck to the end of her arms, gloves that matched the teal of her dress encased her hands. A deep purple cape hid her neck, covering her shoulders and flowing behind her. Both were thin of waist, but Elsa was curvier, with large breasts and wide hips.

Anna had vibrant red hair held back in a bun with a braid wrapped around the front as if to make a crown. Elsa's hair was unlike any Gray had ever seen before. It was white blonde with pastel shades of blue, purple, and green streaked through it like the Aurora Borealis had been captured in her hair. It was held up in a braided bun, a silver tiara tucked into the front, a small replica of her father's crown, signifying her status as heir. Anna bubbled with excitement, her warm smile infectious. Elsa was rigid and stoic, her face void of any emotion.

Gray's chest tightened when Elsa's cold stare fell to him, but she quickly looked away.

He swallowed thickly, trying to ignore his uneasiness as the ambassadors began introducing themselves to the king and queen of Arendelle.

"I am Makarov Dreyar of the Kingdom of Fiore," the master began when it was his turn, "I am one of the Ten Wizard Saints, appointed by the Magic Council of Ishgar." Audible gasps could be heard from the people of Arendelle, followed by silence. Gray's eyes remained focused on the King, whose eyes had flickered with anger, before he quickly schooled them.

"I am also master of the magic guild Fairy Tail," Makarov went on casually, "And these are two of our strongest wizards."

"They are ice mage Gray Fullbuster, and S-Class requip mage, Erza Scarlet," he introduced them. Gray and Erza gave graceful bows to the King.

"Welcome to Arendelle," the King said with forced cheer. Erza and Gray stood straight once more and exchanged uneasy glances before Arendelle's king and queen moved on to the next dignitaries.

* * *

Elsa's mouth gaped when the old man had introduced himself.

"I am also master of the magic guild Fairy Tail," the short old man said, "And these are two of our strongest wizards."

"They are ice mage Gray Fullbuster, and S-Class requip mage, Erza Scarlet," he introduced the two standing at his side.

"Ice... Ice mage?" Elsa whispered to herself, stunned. She blinked rapidly, realizing a chill had risen in the air around her. She regained control of her expression and emotions, closing her eyes and counting backwards. She opened her eyes again and looked over the three from Fiore again. Arendelle's libraries had little information on magic, but she'd found a book on Ishgar that talked about it's wizards and magic guilds. She couldn't believe a country had been so bold as to send them here though. She feared for them suddenly, as she eyed the members of parliament and the citizens who were whispering all too loudly.

Her father had more or less been unfazed by them, or if he had been, he'd hidden it well. She felt a serge of pride in him, happy to know these negotiations were more important to him than making an example of the wizards.

"Wow, wizards!" Anna said, leaning towards her sister, "Kinda scary, huh?" Elsa swallowed thickly, knowing full well how dangerous magic could be.

"He's cute though. Gray I think his name was," Anna whispered with a giggle, drawing Elsa's eyes to the ice mage. He had sharp features, a square jaw, and broad shoulders. His clothes fit him well and couldn't hide the strong body underneath. His eyes seemed calculating, fully aware of his surroundings. He absently ran a hand through his dark hair. Elsa felt an unfamiliar heat rise to her cheeks as she looked him over. She had to admit he was handsome, if only to herself. She snapped her gaze away when his eyes flicked her way.

"Are you _blushing_ , Elsa?" Anna teased softly.

"Quiet, Anna," she hushed her sister, "Father said seen not heard." Anna's smile faltered as she listened to her sister, leaning away from her and standing straight again. Elsa felt a pang of guilt, wishing she wasn't always so hard on her.

The King and Queen returned to their daughters' and stood on the steps next to each other.

"Tonight shall be for festivities!" the King announced, "Our staff will show you to your rooms first, and then we will share in a feast, fallowed by the ball." The ambassadors applauded, most smiling at the king's announcement.

"Please, enjoy Arendelle's hospitality during your stay," he finished, before offering the Queen his arm and heading back inside the palace, Anna and Elsa following behind them as they'd rehearsed. The four stood to the side of the grand staircase as their guests were guided into the palace and up the stairs to their rooms. When Gray passed them, his eyes locked with Elsa's briefly, making her chest tighten.

"You're blushing again," Anna teased, leaning close to her sister once more, only making Elsa's cheeks turn a brighter crimson.

"Anna," their mother scolded, making her stand straight again, and silencing her giggles to Elsa's relief, though she hoped her parents hadn't heard Anna's accusations.

Once all of the ambassadors were upstairs, the girls turned to their parents awaiting instructions.

"The banquet will begin in an hour, Girls," their father said as he turned towards them with a light smile, "Don't be late."

"And don't bother the dignitaries," their mother warned. The girls curtsied, having been dismissed. Anna headed out into the courtyard, ecstatic to finally have the gates opened, while Elsa headed to the library.

She shut the doors behind her and gingerly removed her gloves, despite the danger, but her palms were getting sweaty. She released a small chill into the air, this time intentionally. She let the cold seep into her skin through the thick material of her clothing. She felt a rush of jealousy towards her younger sister, who was free to dress for the warm summer weather, while she had to remain hidden under layers of cloth.

Elsa gingerly touched the globe in the corner of her room, her finger delicately tracing a line from Arendelle to Fiore, leaving a thin trail of ice in it's wake. She sucked in a breath when the doors behind her opened and quickly pulled her gloves back over her hands.

"Thank you," she heard a deep voice behind her and turned to see the ice mage with his back to her and giving thanks to one of the servants. He shut the doors after the servant left, and turned to find the princess, surprise passing over his features.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know anyone was here," he said, and bowed quickly. He rose a moment later.

"Princess Elsa, isn't it?" he asked, and she nodded, lowering her own head briefly. When she looked back up at him, she found a small smile had formed on his lips. He stepped closer to her and offered her his hand, to her surprise.

"Gray Fullbuster," he said, introducing himself. She flushed, starring at his hand, but kept hers folded together in front of her, terrified to touch him.

"Oh! Sorry," he stammered, pulling his hand behind his back, "Commoner thing." Crimson had seeped into his own cheeks now as he chuckled.

"I've never met a princess before," he admitted, and Elsa began to laugh with him, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

"I've never met a... a wizard before," she said, unable to stop the smile on her lips.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't have," he said, and glanced over his shoulder, making sure the doors to the library were closed before stretching out his hands in front of him, placing a fist over his open palm. A blue light shined from his hands, making Elsa gasp, but was unable to take her eyes off him. When the light dissipated, Gray opened his fist to reveal a crocus, Arendelle's official crest, made of ice.

"Wow," she said, her voice breathy as she reached out to touch it with a gloved hand. Gray handed it to her, letting her hold the frail ice flower.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, "I know magic is illegal here." Elsa looked up into his eyes, finding them sincere. From their close proximity, she realized his eyes weren't black, but a dark blue.

"But I wanted to show you how beautiful magic can be," he told her, making her chest tighten, his words reaching her heart, even if he didn't know the real impact they had on her.

"Why did you come to Arendelle?" she suddenly asked him, finding her voice.

"Well, mostly because Master Makarov asked me to," he explained, "He's the closest thing to family I've got. I'd do anything he asked me to." Elsa looked at him with sad eyes, realizing his meaning.

"You're an... orphan?" she inquired and he nodded, a flicker of anger showing in his eyes, but it subsided shortly after.

"But another reason is that, well, I kinda hope to show Arendelle that not all wizards and magic are bad," he said. Elsa smiled up at him then, feeling warmth blossoming inside her. She sat on the sofa behind them and he joined her. She set the ice crocus onto the table next to them.

"What's it like?" she asked, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, "Being in a magic guild?" He smiled at her, and hope bloomed inside him. If Arendelle's people were anything like their princess, perhaps the alliance with Ishgar could bring about real change.

"Well, it's like a big, dysfunctional family," he said with a chuckle.

"You've got all these personalities clashing, but deep down, everybody cares about each other," he went on, and Elsa hung on every word.

"The main point is it's a place you can find work. People from all over the country post jobs on the request boards, asking for help from wizards. You can take jobs by yourself, but we form teams, too," he explained.

"Are you and Erza on a team?" she asked, inquiring about the buxom redhead.

"Oh, no, not usually," he said, "I usually work with my friend, Loke, or by myself," he told her. Gray began telling her about one of his adventures, and Elsa was completely enthralled, unable to look away as he animatedly told her the tale, making her laugh. Gray's beautiful ice crocus had melted when the doors burst open, startling the pair. The red-haired mage stood in the doorway.

"There you are!" Erza called out, "We're going to be late for the banquet." Elsa gasped and stood swiftly and it was only then that Erza realized who she was, and quickly bowed.

"Princess! Forgive me!" Erza called out.

"No, please, you're quite all right," she said, and Erza stood once more, "Come, we mustn't be late." She felt something grip her hand suddenly and turned with fear as she saw Gray holding her hand.

"I hope we can talk again while I'm here," he said, smiling. She returned his smile when her magic remained dormant, her gloved hand like that of anyone else's.

"I do, too," she told him earnestly and he released his hold on her. The two took quick steps to catch up to Erza as they headed to the banquet hall.

* * *

She'd been quiet, letting him do most of the talking, but Gray found himself unable to stop thinking of Elsa. The way her face had lit up when he'd created the ice crocus had been a magic all it's own. She was seated at the table as far from him as possible, but she stood out among all the others.

"Are you alright, Gray?" Makarov asked quietly when he noticed the boy had barely eaten.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired from the trip," he said and shoved another bite into his mouth. Makarov seemed to except the answer, but Erza smirked at him from across the table, knowing full well what had him distracted. He glowered at her, willing her to remain quiet.

They were all escorted to the ballroom after dinner. Gray shuffled towards the thrones to the front of the room, hoping to find Elsa in the crowd of people. He smiled when he found her standing beside her sister, a member of Arendelle's parliament speaking to the princesses.

"May I have the first dance?" the older man, Weasleton, Gray had heard him introduce himself, asked Elsa .

"Oh, I'm afraid I don't dance," she informed him.

"Oh?" he inquired, obviously perturbed to being shot down.

"But my sister does," she said with a mischievous grin.

"I do?" Anna said, corking a brow at her sister.

"Very well," he said, and grasped the younger princess' hand before she even realized what was happening.

Gray watched as the short old man dragged the young princess to the dance floor, to her dismay, Elsa giggling as she watched them.

"That's a shame," he said, making Elsa turn towards him.

"What is?" she asked.

"That you don't dance," he said with a grin. He wasn't much for dancing himself, but the king had required him and Erza to take a few classes for the occasion, and he found he would make an exception for her. She seemed hesitant of his offer, glancing back at her parents who were seated on the thrones behind her. The two were lost in conversation with a few of the other ambassadors and seemingly not paying attention. She smiled at him and hurried down from the dais, pulling him into the crowd away from her parents gaze. He understood why she didn't want them to see, knowing they wouldn't approve of her spending time with a wizard.

He almost pulled away from her, unsettled that she would be ashamed of him, but when she looked up at him with such innocence he forgot his anger. His bare hand took hold of her gloved one while the other settled at her hip and hers came to rest on his shoulder. They fell into the waltz as if they'd danced together a hundred times. She let him lead as they stepped to the music that swelled through the ballroom.

They danced for two songs before they felt dizzy. Elsa excused herself after the music died down, telling him she should get back to her family, but assuring him she'd see him again soon. Her smile lingered in his mind as he watched her weed her way through the crowd. He turned when she disappeared from sight, grabbing a champagne flute from one of the servants and sipping at the bubbling liquid. He stepped out onto the balcony that extended from the ballroom and leaned against the railing, letting the wind whip through his hair as he starred out over the fjord.

* * *

Elsa had to distance herself for a little while. For the first time in her life she wasn't fearing her magic, but something else that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Gray Fullbuster made her feel... different. He made her heart flutter, and cheeks feel warm, and her stomach tied itself in knots when he smiled at her, and for the first time she was filled with emotions that didn't make snow and ice fill the room. She had left the ballroom and began wondering the castle. It took her awhile, but she finally found an empty hall to catch her breath.

She'd only been in the hall a few moments when she heard a loud thud coming from the room at the opposite end of the hall. She stepped wearily towards it, cracking the door to peer inside. Her eyes widened when she saw her sister with her arms wrapped around a stranger's neck, their lips pressed firmly together, her back pressed against a wall.

She tried to get a better look at the man by standing on her tip toes, but instead lost her balance and fell against the door, slamming it.

She stepped back, and then turned, moving quickly down the corridor, but the door swiftly opened behind her.

"Elsa!" Anna called after her, making Elsa stop in her tracks.

"It's okay, Hans, it was just my sister," Anna called to the man behind her as Elsa turned.

"Elsa, I want you to meet Prince Hans," Anna said cheerfully, holding hands with the red-haired man as they approached her.

"Princess Elsa," he said, bowing. She returned the courtesy.

"And how did you meet?" she asked nervously.

"Oh, well, I, um, sort of, bumped into her with my horse earlier," he stammered, before looking down at Anna who smiled up at him. Elsa furrowed her brow, perturbed that she'd caught her sister sneaking kisses with a man she'd just met.

"Actually, Elsa, I'm glad you're here," Anna said then, "Can you keep a secret?"

"Uh, sure," she said, glancing between the two suspiciously.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Hans asked, looking down at Anna.

"Yeah, she's my sister," Anna said, waving him off.

"We're getting married!" Anna then told her excitedly.

"Married?!" Elsa said.

"Yes!" Anna squealed happily, tugging Hans' arm tighter against her.

"Anna, can I speak with you," Elsa said, glancing briefly at Hans, "Alone." Anna's happiness subsided at her sister's suspicion and her brow furrowed.

"No, anything you have to say to me, you can say to both of us," she said, standing firmly by his side. Elsa let out a sigh.

"Fine then," she told her, "You can't marry a man you just met."

"You can if it's true love," Anna defended.

"Anna, what do you know about love?" Elsa asked with a sigh.

"More than you!" Anna countered, "All you know how to do is shut people out!" Elsa was taken aback, anger filling her. She'd only shut her out to protect her! Anna would never understand the struggle she'd had to go through to not put her family at risk!

"Mother and Father will not allow you to do this," Elsa said icily.

"You wouldn't!" Anna then said, "You said you'd keep it a secret!" Elsa turned on her heel and ran, heading back towards the ballroom with her sister chasing after her.

* * *

It'd been a little more than an hour since he'd seen her last and he caught himself searching the crowd for her multicolored hair. He shook his head.

 _'Get a grip, Fullbuster,'_ he said to himself and instead began looking for Erza or Makarov when he suddenly heard a commotion.

"Elsa, wait!" he heard someone calling out as Elsa entered the ballroom from the other side of the room. Her brows were pinched together in worry as she made her way towards her parents, Anna following swiftly behind her. Gray pushed through the throng of people, trying to get closer to see what was happening.

"Give me back my glove!" he heard Elsa shout as he finally pressed to the front. Elsa tried to reach for the glove, put Anna held it tightly against her chest, turning away from her.

"What did I ever do to you?" Anna asked, hurt and anger in her eyes. Elsa stepped away from her sister as she noticed the crowd gathering around them.

"That's enough, Anna," Elsa said, clutching her bare hand under the other. She seemed to have forgotten her purpose in storming the ballroom, and was now slowing circling her sister, trying to step back towards the exit.

"Why do you shut me out? Why do you shut the world out?" Anna pleaded, continuing to step towards her. Gray watched with a furrowed brow, trying to catch Elsa's eyes to let her know he was there if she needed him, but she kept heading towards the door, her back now turned to her sister.

"Anna!" King Agnarr called out to his daughter, finally making his way to the scene, and grasping his younger daughter by the shoulders, but Anna jerked away from him.

"What are you so afraid of?!" Anna yelled at her.

"I said, enough!" Elsa shouted, turning angrily as she reached her breaking point, her bare hand outstretched. Gray felt the shift in the air before it happened. Ice shot from the Princess' hand, creating a barrier of sharp spikes between her and the rest of the ballroom. Everyone gasped, stepping back away from her, but Gray stepped forward, seeing the horror in Elsa's eyes.

"Sorcery!" he heard someone shout. Elsa's eyes finally met his for the briefest moment before she turned and ran.


	3. Prologue Part 2

Let it Go

Elsa had left winter in her wake. She escaped across the Fjord, freezing the water as she ran across it. Snow had begun to fall soon after, encasing Arendelle in a thick layer of white. Gray wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes after chasing after her. He'd never seen magic quite like hers. It was wild and powerful, and she didn't seem to fully understand it. The people of Arendelle were in outrage that their heir was a mage, and that the royal family had kept it from them, despite the royals claiming ignorance.

Anna was the only one Gray believed when they said they didn't know. She seemed so genuinely hurt by her sister's secret. She'd tried to go after her, but her parents had stopped her, and locked her in her room after she tried to escape. Arendelle's parliament had called a private conclave, the meetings for the alliance with Ishgar put on hold.

Gray sat at a tavern in town with Erza and Makarov, the three sipping at hot coffees in silence. Makarov had found a job request flier in their room that morning, promising a large sum of jewel to meet them in the tavern. Gray glanced up when someone else entered the bar, a thick cloak covering most of their face.

"Right on time," Makarov mumbled as the hooded figure approached their table. Gray skimmed over the person who sat down at the table next to theirs. The cloak looked warm, made of a thick and expensive black material. They kept the hood over their face even as the waitress came by, and kept their voice soft, almost a whisper. After the waitress left, a slender hand suddenly passed them a folded paper. Gray recognized the hand as feminine. Makarov motioned for Gray to look at the paper.

Gray unfolded it to find a wanted poster. He sucked in a sharp breathe as he read it.

"He's going to kill his own _daughter_?" Gray spit out angrily, but the woman in the cloak brought a finger to her mouth, motioning him to remain quiet. He shoved the paper to Makarov, letting the master read it.

"By order of the King, Princess Elsa of Arendelle is wanted for Sorcery, punishable by death," Makarov couldn't believe what he'd read. The three looked up to the hooded woman, who had moved the cloak back just enough to see her face.

"Your Majesty," Makarov said, bowing his head briefly. The Queen's bright blue eyes were puffy and red.

"You called us here?" Gray asked, sliding the job request flier towards her and she nodded.

"Save my daughter," the Queen pleaded.

"Elsa was cursed with strange magic from the time she was born," she told them quietly, "We tried to hide it from everyone, but..." She trailed off, swallowing thickly. The waitress was heading back over, so the woman hid her face once more, looking downward as the woman dropped off her beverage and eyed them suspiciously. She walked back to kitchen without a word however. The queen turned back to them then.

"How could the King issue this?" Erza said, anger seeping from her voice.

"The king is doing what he has to, he's really not an evil man, but if it was anyone else's child, the same would have to be done. He can't show mercy just because she's his own blood,"she said, "If he doesn't issue the warrant himself, our entire family will be on trial, not just Elsa." She was trying to reason her husband's actions, and Gray understood to a certain extent, but was disgusted none the less with the way they treated those with magical abilities.

"Should we find her, what would you have us do with her exactly?" Makarov asked softly, before Gray could snap at the queen. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest and made an attempt not to do anything rash.

"Take her away from here," the queen said in a whisper. Gray flinched, surprised by her request.

"Stop this winter, and take my daughter some where she'll be safe, accepted," the queen begged them.

"I understand how your... guilds work," she said as she set a small velvet pouch containing the jewel promised in the flier.

"The jewel promised will be doubled if you succeed," she explained, "Keep half for yourselves, and give the other half to her to live on until she can adjust and work for herself."

"She can have all of it for all I care," Gray spat, making the Queen flinch.

"I'll find her, but because it's the right thing to do," he said, "We aren't _monsters_."

" _Gray_ ," Erza said as she shot Gray a harsh look.

"Alright, Your Highness, we'll do what we can for the princess," Makarov agreed, receiving a sad smile from the woman before them.

"One of you meet me in this tavern at this time the day after the snow subsides to receive the other half," she told them, "The others should leave with the princess immediately, however. There is another port in the city west of the mountains, use it to escape with her."

"Understood," Makarov said simply and gave a small bow of his head. The woman pulled the cloak around her tightly after leaving a few jewel on the table for the waitress and stood to leave.

"Your Highness," Makarov said suddenly, making her stop.

"Your other daughter, is she safe here?" Makarov asked, Gray and Erza exchanged uneasy looks.

"Princess Anna has nothing to fear," the queen assured him, "She's perfectly normal." Gray cringed at the term, as if those who could wield magic were some kind of freaks. Makarov set a hand on the boy's arm to calm him.

"Very well," Makarov said, giving the queen leave. She hastily exited the tavern.

Gray glanced down at the wanted poster, his eyes skimming over the portrait of Elsa. He shuddered, thinking how lonely she must have been.

Gray and Erza set out after eating a quick meal at the tavern, leaving Makarov to head back to the castle. He would stay behind, and meet back with the queen should they reverse the effects of Elsa's storm. Plus, they figured it would be suspicious if all of Fiore's ambassadors suddenly vanished. They hoped with all the commotion no one would notice Gray and Erza's absence.

"We'll let you know when we're leaving with the princess," Gray told the master, as they double checked that their communication lacrimas were working.

"I trust you brats so don't let me down," Makarov told them as they left. They smiled at the Master, knowing it was his way of telling them good luck and to be safe.

"What I'd give to be an ice wizard about now," Erza said as they made their way up the mountains, the cold biting into her skin even through her thick coat and scarf. They'd come across an trading post where they were able to gather supplies and had met a scruffy ice salesman who'd pointed them in the direction of the North Mountain, the tallest in the range. The sun was hanging low in the sky, painting it orange and pink, by the time they reached the summit.

"Gray," Erza called to him from the other side of a large rock formation, "I think you should come see this." He rounded the large rock and his jaw went slack.

"I think this is the right place," Erza said with a grin. Gray's eyes lingered over the ice palace that jutted upward on the other side of the ravine, a grand staircase made of ice leading up to the large double doors.

"Whoa," he said, his breath forming white puffs in the air. He'd never seen anything of this caliber before, his own ice creations didn't hold a candle to hers. He thought back to the crocus of ice he'd made for her and felt ridiculous for trying to show off. The way her face had lit up when she saw it hadn't been because of what he'd created, but because he was able to create it. He realized she must have never met another mage before.

"She's like winter incarnate," Erza mused, taking a step towards the palace. Gray didn't have the chance to reply, because what had looked like a simple pile of snow suddenly started _moving_.

Gray and Erza both gasped as the snow beast turned and stood to it's full height. Gray's eyes widened. The thing had to be ten feet tall and at least half as wide. It roared, snapping them from their shock, and making them take fighting stances.

"Ice Make Sword!" Gray shouted, creating a blade of ice in his hand. The creature swiped at Erza first, but the red-haired woman evaded, rolling away from the blow. Gray took the opportunity to strike, slashing at the monster's arm, slicing it clean off. Angered, the creature billowed again, icy spikes shooting upward from it's back. It swiped at Gray with it's other hand, smacking him back against the mountain side roughly. He looked up as he rose to his knees and caught a glimpse of multicolored hair as the doors to the castle were closed.

"Elsa!" he called out, but the monster was in front of him and he had to roll to avoid it slamming it's fist down on his body.

"Heaven's Wheel Armor!" Erza shouted, requiping to her favorite armor, angel wings now protruding from her back, and sword in hand. She took flight and swiped at the beast, but it rolled to dodge, the air pressure of her attack cracking the mountain wall behind them. The snow creature had rolled closer to the ravine, and now teetered dangerously close to the edge. Gray and Erza moved swiftly, slicing their swords through it's legs, making it fall over the edge. It grabbed at the stairs as Gray raced up them in an attempt to save itself, but the weight of it broke the banister, the force shaking the entire staircase, and making Gray slip. Erza jumped swiftly to his aid, grabbing his hand before he joined the creature and his sword in the fall. Gray used his other hand to grab hold of the remaining banister as Erza helped pull him up.

"Impressive," Erza mused as Gray caught his breath. He was unsure if she was talking about him or Elsa.

"Gray, your shirt," Erza said as he stood, making Gray look down, realizing he'd removed it at some point during the fight. He glanced around, and was thankful when he at least found his white coat. He pulled it on, but his chest and stomach were still exposed to the elements, much to Erza's amusement.

They climbed to the top of the staircase and Gray pushed open the large double doors. They were even more mesmerized once inside. The last bit of setting sun reflected off the ice, making the palace shimmer a gold hue. She'd created a fountain of ice, intricate pieces dangling from it with staircases flanking it, an archway in the center that led to more stairs. Gray caught sight of Elsa's silhouette ascending them.

"Elsa! Wait!" he called after her and began running towards the stairs, but stopped when he heard Erza's steps behind him.

"Actually, maybe only one of us should go after her," he said, "She's scared, I don't want her to feel like she's being cornered." Erza nodded.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," she agreed, "I'll wait here."

He chased after her, founding another archway leading into a room with a high ceiling decorated with a large chandelier made of ice and a doorway leading to a balcony.

"Elsa," he called out to her when he entered the room.

"Gray?" he heard Elsa's voice and found her standing behind a wall of ice, only able to make out the shape of her. She stepped from behind the wall. His eyes widened, drinking her in. She had pulled her hair from the bun, letting a braid fall over her shoulder, a few wisps of hair framing her face. She now wore a shimmering blue dress, the top translucent and showing her ample cleavage, and a slit up the dress showing shapely legs, a sparkling cape cascading down her back.

"Elsa," he breathed, "You look...different." He cleared his throat and tried to push away the warmth that had flooded his cheeks. Elsa smiled sheepishly.

"This place is... amazing," he told her, trying to find something else to stare at.

"Thank you," she said, with a small laugh, "I never knew what I was capable of." He smiled back at her and took a step towards her. Her smile faltered then, and she stepped back.

"You should go," she told him, and he stopped in his tracks.

"But," he began but she interrupted him.

"This is where I belong, alone," she told him, "It's the only place I can be who I am without hurting anybody." He furrowed his brow.

"You don't know, do you?" he asked.

"Know what?" she said, perplexed.

"Arendelle is, well, frozen," he told her.

" _What_?" she stammered. Snow flurries began to form in the air, catching Gray off guard.

"Uh, yeah, you kind of set off an eternal winter," he told her, and she began pacing.

"I'm such an idiot," she said, more to herself than Gray.

"You can just unfreeze it right?" he said, beginning to panic at the sudden rush of cold that entered the room. Snow was circling her now and an unnatural wind had picked up, whipping his jacket against him.

"I don't know how!" she exclaimed, tears brimming her eyes.

"Elsa, listen to me!" he called to her, confident they could figure it out together.

"What was I thinking? I can't be free!" she shouted, her anger evident. Gray realized her magic must be connected to her emotions. He had to calm her down.

"You _can_ be free, Elsa," he called to her, holding his arms up against the snow and ice that swirled around the room.

"You don't have to be alone!" he promised her, but she continued shaking as she stood in the center of the room.

"We can help you! All you have to do is trust me!" he shouted. She turned towards him, finally, looking panicked.

"Trust?" she asked, eyes stricken with fear and self loathing.

"Yes, Elsa, trust," he said, he stood closer to her and held out his hand to her. Elsa glanced at his hand, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as she thought back to their first meeting in the library, when he'd offered his hand to her. Her eyes met his then, and she found softness and sincerity despite the snow storm swirling around them.

"I... I don't know what will happen," she said, fear in her voice.

"I don't either," he told her and a smile formed on his lips. Elsa swallowed thickly but her eyes held his as she slowly reached towards him, finally settling her hand in his. They felt a strange pulse of magic shift through the air when they touched. The snow storm stopped abruptly, dissipating as if it'd never surfaced.

* * *

Elsa hugged herself as she leaned against the wooden edge of the ship. Gray had used something called a communication lacrima to contacted his guild master after she'd agreed to come with them to Fiore. Some how the snow in Arendelle had dissipated around the same time he'd had found her, which only raised more questions about her magic than answers.

The three of them descended the mountain on the opposite side, heading west to a neighboring city where they'd found her a change clothes and a cloak to hide her face as they secured passage to Ishgar.

"The alliance with Ishgar was called off," Gray said, coming to stand next to her. He leaned his back against the boat, resting his elbows along the ledge. She glanced at him around the edge of the cloak's hood, a light blush touching her cheeks when she noticed he was shirtless.

"Is, um, that a bad habit of yours or something?" she asked, eyes glancing down at his chest. He looked down, and blanched as he noticed he'd lost his shirt...again. He regained his composure after cursing to himself and shrugged.

"Yeah, actually it is," he said with a cool smile that made her laugh softly, before letting out a sad sigh.

"I figured it would be," she said, referring to his earlier statement.

"Most of Ishgar's ambassadors took offense to Arendelle's anti-magic laws," he explained, "I don't think they realized the death penalty was in effect when they agreed to come." Elsa stayed silent for a long while, starring out at the stars.

"I'm sorry about all of this, Elsa," he said sincerely, "I know it must be hard leaving your country and family behind." He reached towards her, pushing back the hood and letting it fall before resting his hand on top of hers, making her flush again.

"Here," they heard Erza say as she approached them and Gray pulled his hand away, "Your mother gave this to us." Erza handed her a small pouch. Elsa opened it, finding a significant amount of jewel.

"To help you get by during your training," Erza explained, "Until you can take jobs on your own."

"My... mother gave it to you?" she asked, receiving nods from Gray and Erza.

"Master Makarov will have more when he meets us at the guild," she told her.

"She wanted you to be safe," Gray told her, "Even if that meant away from Arendelle."

"So she... sent you?" Elsa asked, her eyes meeting Gray's.

"Well, sort of," Erza told her before Gray could say anything.

"Gray had planned on going after you anyway," Erza said. Gray glanced away from her, his cheeks turning rosy, but Elsa smiled.

"You're going to have to give yourself a new identity," Erza said, "I think if a mage named Elsa with ice magic gained fame around Ishgar, it wouldn't be difficult for people to figure out who you were."

"Fame?" Elsa asked.

"Well, yeah," Gray told her, "Everyone's heard of the Great Titania of Fairy Tail, for example."

"The nickname wasn't my idea," Erza told her, "But Gray is well known, too. Laxus and Natsu are famous, or maybe infamous I should say."

"Hothead is definitely infamous," Gray said wryly, "He causes too much damn destruction."

"Any idea what you'd want to call yourself?" Erza asked her.

"Noelle is my middle name," she suggested with a shrug, "Not many know it, just family."

"I think that's lovely," Erza said, making her smile, "And thoughts on a last name?" She chewed her lip, lost in thought. Gray suddenly reached up, brushing a few loose hairs from her face and drawing her attention towards him.

"Borealis," he said, gingerly sliding his finger down her braid before withdrawing his hand.

"That's perfect," Erza agreed.

"Noelle Borealis," she said, testing it out. It would take getting used to, but she found she liked the sound of it. Gray and Erza offered her comforting smiles.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Noelle," Erza said.


	4. Chapter 1: The Blue Flame Candle

Sorry this has taken so long to update! My computer broke months ago and I was finally able to get a new one, so I should be able to make some progress on this story now. This chapter is a little short, but it's more of a segue into the arc. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and followed. :)

This is the dress I imagined Noelle wearing if anyone's /  
.

* * *

Chapter 1

Noelle smiled lightly to herself as she made her way towards Fairy Tail's guildhall, the summer sun warm on her skin. She wore a lavender sundress that left most of her long legs bare, and only a sheer lace covered her shoulders. A thin silver chain circled her neck and hung low on her chest, a snowflake charm hanging on the end. Her hands were bare except for a few silver rings on her fingers. Gloves were a distant memory.

Entering the guild, she was warmly greeted by Mirajane as the barkeep carried a tray of drinks to a nearby table. Noelle skimmed the crowd as she took her usual spot at the bar. She had hoped to find Gray and Loke lurking about. She'd taken her last few jobs on her own and while it was nice working alone every now and then, she couldn't deny she was missing her boys.

She couldn't believe she'd been a member of the guild for a year, the anniversary of her joining only a few days away. The first few months had been full of rigorous training, learning to control and utilize her magic, as well as learning hand to hand combat. Once cleared by the master, she'd joined Loke and Gray on jobs, and over time had proved herself a capable wizard. Erza had been right about the fame. It hadn't taken long for stories of The Snow Queen to travel throughout the country. She shuddered at the nickname whenever she heard it, but it'd stuck and there was nothing she could do to change it. She looked down at her bare hands, remembering how Gray's hand in hers had quelled the wild magic inside her.

Her parents had made the worst mistake in shutting her away from the world. Her magic thrived and obeyed since joining Fairy Tail.

"Noelle," Gray's voice interrupted her thoughts, and she smiled as she turned to see him strolling towards her.

"Hey, long time no see," she greeted as he approached her.

"Yeah, how'd the job go?" he asked, his lips curled into a cool smile.

"As well as one could hope. The heat wave was vanquished," she told him confidently as he took the bar stool beside her.

"How do you vanquish a heat wave?" he asked, corking an eyebrow in disbelief.

"You decommission the fire wizard that was causing it," she replied, making Gray snort.

"I suppose that would work," he said with a smirk. The two ordered drinks from Mirajane when she returned behind the bar and made small talk about their latest jobs.

Loke arrived at the guild not long after, a girl on each arm as usual, though Noelle didn't recognize his new flavors of the week. He took a seat with them at a table, offering Noelle and Gray a wave and a nod of greeting. The two rolled their eyes at him, but waved back, use to his nonchalance whenever he had women with him.

"He'll never change, huh?" Noelle chided, shaking her head softly as she nursed her drink.

"Not a chance," Gray commented. Noelle was about to ask if Gray was interested in taking a job together when a loud bang interrupted her. They turned to see Natsu had kicked open the guildhall door.

"WE MADE IT BACK ALIVE!" the dragon slayer yelled boisterously.

"Speaking of fire wizards," Gray grumbled.

"Gray, your shirt," Noelle said, stifling a giggle as he looked down in surprise, unaware that he'd shed himself of his shirt. Natsu had already started a brawl with one of their guildmates and Noelle knew it was only a matter of time before Gray joined in, loosing his shirt was usually the first step.

Just as she suspected, he abandoned her at the bar, claiming he was going to break up Natsu's shenanigans, but she knew better than to believe it. Sure enough, the entire guildhall had become a cacophony of fighting, even Loke had joined the brawl, likely to impress the girls he'd brought along.

Noelle flinched when she heard Mirajane crash to the ground. She turned to see the the white-haired woman sprawled on the floor, her brother thrown on top of her. An unfamiliar blonde stood over her panicking. Noelle only had a moment to question who the girl was when Grey came crashing against the unsuspecting girl. Oh, and he was _nude_. Noelle sighed and smacked her head with her palm, catching sight of Natsu twirling Grey's boxer briefs with a menacing grin.

"Pardon me, can I barrow your underwear?" Gray asked the newcomer, who rightfully screamed and smacked him. Loke lifted the girl gallantly, proclaiming to protect her from the 'pervert' (despite being a lecher himself, Noelle thought), only for Elfman to punch him in the face, making him drop her rather unceremoniously. Natsu, in turn, kicked Elfman, who flew back against Mirajane once more, knocking them both to the floor. Much to everyone's relief, Natsu had abandoned his hold on Gray's underwear, giving Gray the opportunity to retrieve them.

Master Makarov stopped the chaos just as the mages around the guildhall began calling on their magic. Everyone settled at his presence, except for Natsu, who needed a little more persuading from the Master. The blonde shook in fear at the Master's size, before he reverted back to his original form with a large smile, greeting the girl warmly. After Mirajane introduced the master to the new girl, Makarov jumped up onto the ledge above them and began lecturing the group about their destructive nature.

"However," he then said calmly, before using magic to set the forms of complaints from the Magic Council ablaze.

"To Hell with the council!" he said, tossing the flaming papers down below. Natsu leaped to catch them, eating the flames and licking his lips afterwards.

"Listen Up!" the Master commanded, "Power that surpasses reason is still born from reason. Magic is not a miraculous power. It's only realized when the flow of energy inside us and the flow of energy in the natural world come into perfect sync!"

"Magic comes from mental strength and focus," he continued, "Nay! It comes from your entire soul!" Noelle smiled up at the Master, thinking back to when he'd been training her to control her magic.

"If all we do is worry about following rules then our magic will never progress," he said, "Don't let the fools on the council scare you, follow the path _you_ believe in!"

"That's what Fairy Tail wizards do!" he bellowed, lifting his hand in the air with a pointed finger. The rest of the guild erupted into boistrous cheers, mimicking the master's gesture.

* * *

Noelle and Gray watched with smiles from their bar stools as Mirajane marked the new girl's hand with a pink Fairy Tail crest. Gray noticed Noelle gingerly tracing the outline of her own guildmark on her upper thigh as Lucy, she'd introduced herself, squeeled with pride. His eyes lingered on Noelle's shapely legs, but he quickly averted his gaze when she caught him looking.

"So, any plans for today?" he asked after taking a swig of his beer.

"I haven't taken another job yet," Noelle answered, "But I was thinking of skimming over the request board. Are you up to anything? I was thinking maybe we could take a job together."

"Count me in," Loke said as he approached the two, having overheard them. Loke drapped an arm around Noelle's shoulders. Noelle smirked up at their comrade, but Gray was shooting daggers at him. He hated when Loke flirted with her

"Of course, Loke," Noelle said, "I was going to ask you as well. I feel like I haven't seen you guys much lately."

"Are you sure the Snow Queen has time for us small timers?" Gray teased her.

"You know I hate that nickname," she grimaced to Gray's amusement.

"I still don't understand why though," Loke commented, making Gray flash her a knowing grin. Noelle's true identity was a fairly guarded secret, one Gray was glad to be privy to.

"You know you're _my_ queen," Loke said in husky voice, leaning his face closer to hers, turning her cheeks a rosy hue. Gray's chest tightened uncomfortably.

"You're so corny," Noelle said suddenly, shoving Loke away. Loke chuckled as he pushed his glasses back up his nose.

"I've changed my mind," Noelle said folding her arms over her chest, "I don't want to take either of you anywhere."

"I'll go pick us out a job," Loke said with a wink before heading towards the request board.

"Nothing that involves me wearing a costume!" Noelle called after him.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?" he called back, flashing her a charming grin over his shoulder.

"Not on your life, Playboy," she said, smiling despite her claim. Gray chuckled, remembering how stoic and distant Noelle had been when she'd first come to the guild, understandably so, given her circumstances. He watched her as she chatted with Bisca and Cana who had taken the seats next to them. She'd come so far in the last year.

"How 'bout this one, guys?" Loke inturrupted his thoughts, setting a flyer onto the bar in front of them. Gray and Noelle leaned closer together to read the paper.

"Six hundred thousand jewel to recover a stolen candle?" Noelle says questioningly after she finsihed reading the flier.

"Sounds too good to be true," Gray agreed.

"Are you two dense?" Loke chided, "Not just any candle! It's the Blue Flame Candle!" Noelle and Gray exchanged confused looks before turning back to Loke with shruggs. The redhaired mage sighed and pushed his glasses back up his nose.

"It's an heirloom that has been passed down through the royal family for a couple hundred years now," he began, "Not only is the candelabra solid gold, but the candle itself is said to be magic!"

"If it's so special, why is it a marquise that we're meeting instead of someone higher ranked?" Noelle asked.

"Because the Marquises of Orchid use to be well known for their skill in wizardry, but the last few generations have lost the talent," Loke explained.

"So it was gifted to them for safe keeping, and by the time they lost the ability, no one thought to put it under better protection," Gray said, folding his arms over his chest.

"Exactly," Loke affirmed.

"Well, let's do it then," Noelle said, "Six hundred thousand jewel is nothing to sneeze at." The boys nodded in agreement. The three agreed to meet at the train station later that day and split their seperate ways to pack for the trip to Orchid City to meet with Marquise Sayuri.


	5. Chapter 2: Marquise Sayuri

The three teammates had boarded the train and were making their way to Orchid City, a metropolis in the north central part of Fiore. Noelle sat next to Gray her legs stretched out, crossed at the ankles, using the opposite seat as a foot rest. Loke sat across from Gray, next to where Noelle's booted feet were perched.

"So about this magic candle," Noelle started, "What kind of magic are we talking about exactly?" She'd realized while she was packing a bag that she nor Gray had asked.

"Well," Loke said with a pause, "It's said that anyone left in long exposure with the lit flame will have their magic drained from their body, and will cause Magic Deficiency Disease." Gray and Noelle's eyes went wide.

"What the hell, Loke?" Gray snapped, "You could have mentioned that before." Loke only chuckled.

"So, it's only dangerous to wizards?" Noelle asked, and Loke nodded.

"That's right," he confirmed, "It's not dangerous to the masses, but consider if someone planted it in say, a guild hall or something? You'd have a lot of dead mages on your hands." Noelle involuntarily shivered.

"So much for easy jewel," Gray grimaced, folding his hands behind his head with a sigh.

"What's a job without a little danger?" Loke said, wagging his eyebrows teasingly.

"Plus we don't know who stole it," Noelle mentioned, "It was going to potentially be dangerous anyway, now just more so."

"That's true," Gray said, "Although I suspected someone was more after the gold. I've taken out gold thieves before, not someone bent on murdering wizards."

"Anyone else find it suspicious that the marquise hasn't gone to the police?" Gray asked, making Loke grimace.

"Hadn't thought of that," he admitted, adjusting his glasses, but Noelle shook her head.

"Not really," she said, "If they go to the police, it'll be in the news. Not only will it cause a panic, but it means they have to publicly admit that they lost it. They're trying to save face."

"They want it back without anyone important knowing it was missing to begin with," Gray stated. Noelle nodded.

The sun was just beginning to set when Gray awoke. He shook his head lightly, not realizing he'd even fallen asleep. He made to stretch but stopped when he felt a light weight against his shoulder and looked down to see Noelle dozing against him, the book in her lap now forgotten. He smiled down at her, gently pushing the mix of white, blue, and purple hair from her face and tucking it behind the shell of her ear.

"Can I ask you something?" Loke asked just a hair above a whisper. Gray blinked, nearly forgetting that his other comrade sat across from him. He looked up, surprised by Loke's serious tone and expression.

"What is it?" he asked softly, careful not to wake the girl resting at his side.

"You and Noelle," Loke started, "Anything going on there?"

"No, of course not," Gray said, too quickly. He ignored the flutter in his chest and the heat that rose to his cheeks. Loke smirked.

"Oh, really?" Loke asked, skeptically raising an eyebrow.

"It's not like that," Gray continued to protest, "She's my friend." He swallowed thickly, his eyes returning to Noelle's sleeping form. He chewed the inside of his lip. The two had been nearly inseparable up until just a few months ago, when Noelle started receiving personal request fliers. It was nearly unheard of for someone who wasn't an S-Class Mage to be asked for by name, but she'd gained popularity rather quickly, especially after doing an interview and photo shoot with Sorcerer's Weekly. He thought back to all those days he'd spent training her, teaching her how to defend herself, and how to use her magic. She'd been so dependent on him. She'd looked up to him, almost like a little sister did a big brother, despite only being half a year younger than him.

"She's... she's like a little sister," he said, but the words felt heavy on his tongue. He looked back up to Loke and grimaced, finding a confident grin on the mage's face.

"So, as her big brother, you wouldn't mind if I pursued her then?" Loke asked, almost wickedly. Gray's eyes turned a threatening shade darker.

"As her big brother, it's my job to protect her from womanizers like you," Gray said through gritted teeth.

"Come on, Gray, I thought we were friends," Loke pleaded, feigning sadness.

"And as your friend, I don't feel guilty telling you to keep your lecherous hands off her," Gray grumbled. Loke chuckled at first, but turned serious once more.

"It wouldn't be like that," Loke began, "It'd be different with her." Gray rolled his eyes.

"Sure it would," he said sarcastically.

"I'm serious, Gray," Loke said.

"Yeah, yeah," Gray said, waving him off. He looked down at Noelle once more.

"If you break her heart," he started, and turned a menacing gaze towards Loke, "I'll break your nose."

The train came to a stop at the station, the breaks making Noelle fall forward, waking her just as Gray grabbed hold of her arm to steady her. She rubbed at her eyes and let out a soft yawn.

"Damn, are we here already? How long did I sleep for?" she asked groggily.

"About an hour," Loke answered, "Gray's poor arm is probably asleep." Noelle blushed at his teasing as she realized she must have been using Gray as a pillow.

"Oh, sorry, Gray," she said shyly, but Gray smiled.

"No worries," he said coolly and stood up, grabbing her bag and handing it to her before grabbing his own belongings.

"We'll be meeting with the marquise at the hotel restaurant where we'll be staying," Loke informed his teammates as they made their way through the crowded streets. Orchid City was at it's busiest during the summer since it boasted several springs along it's western side, with several resorts dotting the area. When Loke had called the number on the flier to inform them they'd be taking the job, the secretary he'd spoken to had insisted on booking their accommodations at the marquise behest. They were glad she'd booked a place close to the train station by the mountains instead of near the springs.

"I think this is it," Loke said, double checking the hotel name and address.

"Uh, are you sure?" Gray questioned, starring up at the rather expensive looking hotel.

"That's what it says," Loke confirmed, showing his comrades the paper.

When they entered the hotel lobby, all three breathed a sigh of relief as the noise from the busy streets subsided. The hotel was lavishly furnished and a large crystal chandelier hung above them.

"Guess that explains what they meant by 'appropriate clothing for dinner," Loke muttered, making air quotations with his fingers.

Loke checked in at the front desk, since the reservation was meant to be in his name.

"Not bad," he said to his comrades while twirling the room key on his finger, "She booked us a suite."

Their room was on the fifth floor, a balcony jutting out over the crowded streets below and giving a view to the sprawling city and the mountains beyond. The suite had a separate bedroom with two queen beds and a connecting bathroom. The living room had an expensive looking sofa as well as a few plush chairs.

"Uh, there aren't enough beds for everyone," Noelle pointed out.

"Oh, the couch folds out into one," Loke explained. Gray almost too quickly offered to sleep there, but stopped, dreading the idea of giving Loke a room alone with Noelle.

"We're suppose to meet the marquise in less than an hour, we should get changed," he said, deciding to leave sleeping arrangements up for debate later.

Noelle took the bathroom to change, while Gray and Loke dressed in the bedroom. Both boys changed into black slacks, but Gray wore a deep burgundy button up with a black tie, while Loke's shirt was crisp white and paired with a black blazer. Gray was making adjustments to his tie using the mirror on the wall when Noelle emerged from the bathroom.

"Well, you boys clean up nicely," she said, smiling at them. Both stared at her with their mouths slightly agape. Noelle's hair hung in a braid over her shoulder, the shorter hair in the front framing her face. She wore a pale blue dress that was long enough to touch the floor. The dress was a halter, leaving her arms bare except for a few silvery bangles at her left wrist. The neckline was plunging, revealing ample cleavage. A belt of the same color and material hugged the dress to her slim waist before letting the dress billow at her hips. A long slit ran up the left side of the skirt, giving a glimpse of her Fairy Tail sigil on her thigh in a light purple.

"Uh, yeah, you too," Gray managed to stutter after shaking his head and blinking a few times.

"Noelle, sweetling, I could eat you up," Loke said, striding confidently towards her and taking her hand to plant a kiss on the back of it. She rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips.

"Come on, our employer awaits," she said, removing her hand from his. Gray stood next to Loke as he locked up the room, Noelle already walking towards the stairs that would lead to the restaurant on the top floor. Gray's eyes lingered on her form, her hips swaying as she walked.

"Big brothers aren't suppose to ogle their little sisters," Loke jested and walked away following quickly behind Noelle.

"She's not _really_ my sister," he grumbled to himself, slouching as he followed behind them.

"What was that, Gray?" Noelle asked over her shoulder. Gray straightened his shoulders and schooled his expression.

"Nothing," he said, and walked faster to catch up with his teammates as Loke choked back a laugh. Gray shot him a cold look.

Loke told the host the name for their reservation and the man affirmed that it would be for four people. They explained that one more would be joining them soon, and the host took them to a quiet table in a corner. Floor to ceiling windows covered the walls around them, giving a breathtaking view of the starlit night sky.

A young woman approached their table soon after a waiter brought water to the table.

"Are you the wizards from Fairy Tail?" the woman asked, turning their attention towards her. She was a beauty in her mid twenties, with black hair that was pulled up into a pristine bun, shimmery crystals wrapped around it. Noelle stood, Gray and Loke followed suit with slight hesitation.

"Yes, uh, Miss" Gray said, unsurety in his voice. Noelle was reminded of their first meeting, when he'd tried to shake hands with her, and a smile was brought to her face.

"My Lady," Noelle greeted her properly, "Please, be seated with us." The four sat down at the table, Loke helping the marquise pull up her chair. Gray cursed himself, wishing he'd thought to do the same. He was no good at this nobility crap.

The waiter returned to take their drink order and the marquise ordered a bottle of wine for the table before dismissing him. After he went away once more, the Fairy Tail wizards waited for her to address them.

"First, I must thank you for taking the job offer," Marquise Sayuri told them, unwrapping her silverware and placing the napkin folded into her lap. Noelle did the same nearly in sync with her.

"I'll give you all the information I can that will help lead you to bringing back the stolen item," she said, "Are you aware of what power the Blue Flame Candle holds?" Loke was the first to nod.

"I'd read about it in a book from our guild's library," he informed her.

"Very good, not too many know of the item, and even fewer believe in what it does," she told them.

"Are there any suspects, My Lady?" Gray asked, and the marquise nodded.

"I'm afraid so," she said, and pulled a black and white photo from her handbag. The image was small and grainy, but a face could be made out in the image.

"Our security cameras did their job," she explained, "The man there has wanted posters all over Fiore."

The server returned with their bottle of wine, prompting Gray to pull the photo into his lap under the table quickly. The waiter eyed him suspiciously but said nothing as he poured everyone a glass of the wine. The marquise encouraged the group to order their diner, but declined any for herself. After dismissing the server once more, Gray handed her the photo back.

"Thank you for your discretion," she told him and gave a small nod.

"We expected since you contacted us instead of the police, that you had hoped to keep this... well, secretive," Loke said, Noelle casting him a glare since she'd been the one to figure that out.

"Yes, I'm afraid I would prefer to keep my incompetency away from local headlines," she said, eyes downcast.

"The man in the photo, you said he's a wanted criminal?" Loke asked, "I'm afraid I don't recognize him."

"I do," Gray stated, "His name's Carlisle."

"I remember seeing him in the paper a few months ago," Noelle confirmed, "He's an art thief."

"That is correct," the marquise confirmed, "He's a renowned art thief, but what isn't very well known is that he's also a wizard." The three mages frowned at this new information.

"That's how he was able to get past our guards. He uses invisibility magic," she explained.

"But if he can become invisible, how did you get a picture of him?" Loke asked.

"Because when he touched the candelabra, it broke through his spell," she told them, making them all give her quizzical stares. She smiled briefly.

"The Blue Flame Candle has an immense magical aura, and it's been storing energy, unused, for at least two centuries that can be accounted for," she divulged, "It's power disrupted his own upon coming in contact with it."

"It didn't have a lasting effect, as he was able to cloak himself, and the candle for that matter, after regaining his composure," she said, "So it's unlikely that retaining the item should cause any of you harm, so long as it remains unlit."

"Any idea what he plans to do with the candle?" Noelle asked, "I understand the candelabra is gold, but it seems a strange item for an art thief to target."

"You're a clever one, aren't you?" the marquise said with a sly smile, making Noelle blush uncomfortably at the compliment. The marquise sighed, and her expression saddened.

"I'm afraid, that is, I believe someone who knew what power the candle holds paid him to steal it," she said, and let out a sad sigh.

"I made a rather selfish decision earlier this year," she began, "After my father's death last winter, I called off my engagement to Count Edison because... because I loved another."

"Count Edison was furious when I called off the wedding," she went on, "And now that I'm engaged once more, I fear he wishes to harm my intended using the candle."

"Your intended?" Gray asked.

"Yes, he's a wizard, you see. He use to be a member of Blue Pegasus, but left the guild when his mother fell ill, and came to work for my father, where he could make more money," she told them.

"Which is how you met," Noelle suggested.

"And Count Edison knows he's a wizard?" Loke asked, receiving a nod from the marquise.

"Well, of course," she stated, "Patrick is part of our security team."

"Security team?" Noelle repeated questioningly, "Your fiance is your body guard?" Marquise Sayuri flushed slightly, but smiled as she nodded.

"He was so angry when he'd learned of this man succeeding in bypassing our security," she said.

"Invisibility magic is rare," Loke commented, "Not many are able to fully utilize it."

"Do you know where the library is?" Noelle asked, the marquise giving her a puzzled look.

"We'll need their archives for research," she explained, and the marquise nodded in understanding.

"I'm afraid I don't know the address," she told them, "But the hotel staff at the main desk should know."

"I'll have my assistant call the library for you though, and tell them to send someone to open it for you. They'll be closed at this hour," she said.

"Thanks. We'll do some research, and then we'll start tracking Carlisle first thing tomorrow," Gray informed her.

"Thank you," she said, giving a slight bow of her head before standing.

"Lady Sayuri," Noelle said, making the marquise pause, "Why did you post the flier at Fairy Tail and not Blue Pegasus? Aren't they closer? And wouldn't they be willing to help since your fiance was once a member?"

"Patrick said I couldn't trust Blue Pegasus with secrecy," she answered, "Unfortunately, he believes they would want the publicity. They're a good guild, but well, they can be rather flamboyant and attention seeking." Noelle nodded.

"Well, you have our word that we'll be discreet," Loke assured her.

"If you have any other questions, please feel free to call my secretary at the number provided on the flier. If it's urgent, please inform her to fetch me," the Marquise told them before taking her leave from the table and heading out of the restaurant.

The three finished their meal and found that the marquise had taken care of their bill. They returned to their room, changing into street clothes before heading down to the hotel lobby. The desk clerk gave them the address to the library and gave them one of their tourists maps, circling the building for them as well.

"They'll be closed at this hour though," he warned. The three simply thanked him for his help and headed out.


	6. Chapter 3: Motive

Luckily Orchid City's library had newspapers from the last two years on file and after quite a bit of digging the trio were able to find a few articles on their invisible thief. It turned out his image had been captured on security cameras a few blocks from his targets and both before and after his heists, leading the team to believe his magic came with a time limit.

"I don't know if I'd call it good news. Judging from the time stamps on the photos, he can stay invisible for at least an hour," Loke said, "Still going to be a tough fight."

"True, but we also know that the magic aura from the candle was able to disrupt his spell," Gray mused, "Maybe other magic, say _ours_ , may be able to disrupt it too."

"Could be, but it's possible he would need to be hit with a lot of it at once, as Lady Sayuri implied. We may need to all hit him at once," Noelle added, "And it may be a little hard to hit a target you can't see." The three let out a collective sigh.

"So much for easy jewel," Gray muttered for the second time that day.

"And we haven't even done any digging on this Count Edison guy," Noelle complained.

"We may need to split up tomorrow," Loke suggested, "Maybe one of us go to question the Count, while the other two track Carlisle."

"I don't know what good questioning him will do, it's not like any of us have lie detector magic," Noelle grumbled.

"Hmm, no, but if there's a magic shop around here, we might be able to get some," Gray suggested. Loke groaned at the suggestion.

"Those things are shoddy magic at best," he whined.

"Got any better ideas?" Gray countered. He was answered with silence.

The three thumbed through a few more books on invisibility magic, as well as one on the candle itself before calling it quits.

"Alright, we'll get some shut eye and hit the bricks at first light," Loke said as they entered their room again. The three took turns showering, Noelle telling Loke to go first after he offered it to her as she wanted to thumb through a book on Fiore's nobility before bed. Noelle sat sideways in one of the living chairs, her legs hanging over the armrest as Gray moved the coffee table to pull out the sofa bed. She toed off her boots and stretched out her toes.

"Something just isn't adding up," Noelle bemused.

"What's that?" Gray asked, plopping himself on the bed that was now in front of her and pulling off his boots.

"Something's off about Count Edison," she said, blue eyes still lingering on the pages in front of her.

"Well, yeah, the marquise said as much," Gray said with a slight smirk. Noelle clicked her tongue, and turned to face him. Loke emerged from the shower, however, interrupting before Noelle could elaborate.

"You want next?" Gray asked her, pointing towards the shower.

"No, you go ahead," she said, turning back in the chair, "I'll take last. It's not like an ice wizard needs hot water."

"Suit yourself," he said and stood, briefly patting her knee before heading into the bathroom and turning on the water.

"What are you reading?" Loke asked as he ruffled his short orange hair with one of the hotel towels. Noelle looked up at him for only a moment, realized he was shirtless, and immediately stuck her nose back in the book.

"Fiore's Nobility of the X700's," she read the title in a haughty voice, before flipping a page. In the couple of months she'd been working alone she'd nearly forgotten how distracting her teammates could be. Loke tossed the towel onto a bar stool in the kitchenette before sitting across from her on the sofa bed, leaning back on his palms. He wore only a pair of baggy green pajama pants, his hair damp and tousled.

"Find anything interesting in there?" he asked. Noelle's eyes snapped back to the book.

"Not really," she shrugged.

"It seems strange that Count Edison would steal the candle,"she said after another moment. Loke cocked his head to the side.

"I mean, he's rich, if he was going to go through the trouble of stealing the candle, wouldn't it be easier just to hire an assassin to take out the new fiance?" Noelle mused. Loke had leaned towards her as she spoke and was now pursing his lips in thought. While his chest and the defined 'v' of his hips was distracting for sure, Noelle decided seeing him without his glasses was almost more so. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"What?" he asked, returning her smile slyly.

"Your eyes have a little green in them," she commented, making his sly grin turn into a sheepish one. She giggled lightly, never seeing him turn shy before.

"I think you're right about the ex. It's possible the motive is there, but it's certainly poor execution," Loke said.

"But if it's not the ex, who paid the thief?" Gray said as he stepped into the room, overhearing them. Noelle turned towards him, finding him with only a towel slung low around his waist. She willed her eyes to meet his face instead of the expanse of his chest and abs. It didn't mater how many times she'd seen Gray shirtless, or less than shirtless, the sight was compelling.

"That would be the million- correction, six hundred thousand jewel question," she replied. She hoped up out of the chair, tossing the book into the seat.

"Maybe nobody paid him," Loke interjected.

"No, an art thief doesn't randomly decide to steal a magic candle," Gray shook his head, "He doesn't steal anything unless there's a profit to be made."

"And there's no profit if there isn't a buyer," Noelle said flatly before heading to shower. She stopped abruptly in the doorway to the bedroom, a thought striking her. She explained her theory to her teammates.

"That makes more sense to me," Gray agreed, "But we'd need proof."

"First thing tomorrow, one of us should head to question Count Edison," Loke stated, "And the other two should follow Noelle's hunch." The three nodded in agreement. Noelle finally headed into the shower. When she finished she found Gray already fast asleep in one of the two queen beds, the covers pulled up to his waist. It was questionable whether he'd bothered with underwear much less pajama pants. She found Loke in a similar state on the sofa bed in the living room. She smiled down at him as she pulled the blanket up to his shoulders. She knew Gray would have lowered the thermostat before heading to bed and wanted to make sure they didn't freeze their comrade, as the two ice mages had been known to do in the past.

She headed back into the bedroom, turning off lights as she went. She could make out Gray's figure in the dim moonlight that shone through their window. She smiled at his sleeping form, gently brushing his dark hair from his face before climbing into her own bed.

* * *

The three went their separate ways first thing in the morning. Loke took a carriage towards Count Edison's mansion while Noelle and Gray headed to Marquise Sayuri's residence. After being searched by security they were escorted into her parlor. She stood when they entered the room, greeting them warmly and offering them tea. A muscular man with strawberry blonde hair wearing a black suit, the same as the rest of her security team, sat on the sofa next to her.

"Please, sit," she told them, motioning towards the sofa across from her. Gray and Noelle sat, thanking her as they did.

"This is my fiance, Patrick Riley," she said, introducing the man next to her. His expression remained neutral, his green eyes seeming to size them up.

"Nice to meet you, Guild Wizards," he said, his lips tugging into a forced smile that made Noelle shift uncomfortably.

"Likewise," Gray said casually.

"My Lady," Noelle began, "We may need your help."

"Of course," the marquise said, "If there's anything I can do to assist you in the candle's return, I'm happy to oblige."

"We need your help in tracking Carlisle," Gray began, "Did your security team find any evidence other than the photo? Perhaps an item belonging to him that he dropped?" Marquise Sayuri exchanged an uneasy look with her fiance.

"If we had an item that belonged to him, we could use a locator spell to track him," Noelle explained, but Patrick shook his head.

"If he had, don't you think I would have thought of that myself?" he snapped.

"Patrick," Sayuri scolded softly, "They're doing the best they can." Gray's eyes narrowed at the man across from him.

"Then do you have access to other security footage around the city?" Gray said.

"We know that the police have cameras occupying several corners of Orchid City," Noelle continued, "If we could get a general idea of which direction he headed, we could begin tracking him that way, but we promised discretion and thus can't ask for cooperation from the local authorities."

"Now, that, we can help you with," Lady Sayuri said, a smile beaming on her full lips. Patrick seem perturbed though, folding his arms over his chest.

"That's an easy one, he'll be heading to Count Edison," he argued, "This is a complete waste of time."

"Our colleague is on his way to question the count as we speak," Gray countered, "However, it would unwise to only follow through with one lead, when there's no evidence other than motive that he was behind it."

"Motive is the only evidence needed," Patrick said defensively.

"You'll have to forgive us for wishing to be more thorough," Noelle said calmly, casting him an icy glare.

"Fairy Tail wizards, please," the marquise interrupted, "Come with me to meet our head of security. He'll be able to help you research the footage we have."

"Patrick, I know this is all upsetting, but please allow the wizards to do their job," she scolded her fiance. He looked downcast as she chided him.

Gray and Noelle followed the marquise out of the parlor, leaving her fiance to sulk. They followed her down a back hallway and entered a dark room, a single wall covered in lacrima screens, a control panel below them. The man sitting in front of it turned to them with a smile. He was an older gentleman with a balding head and crows feet at his eyes, but his smile was genuine and his body seemed to be in top shape.

"This is Thompson, my head of security, he'll help you with what you need," she told them.

"Thank you, My Lady," Gray said.

"Forgive Patrick for his rudeness, please," she said, "He's under a lot of stress, what with the candle being stolen as well as our wedding. A lot of people would rather not see us wed."

"It's alright, Lady Sayuri," Noelle assured her. The marquise nodded with a small smile and left the wizards with her staff.

* * *

"Noelle was right," Loke said over the lacrima phone as Gray and Noelle boarded the train at the last minute. Gray had it set to speaker so they could both hear their teammate. The train began moving immediately.

"We know," Noelle said, "We're following the lead as we speak."

"Count Edison was furious at being pegged a suspect," Loke said, "He's offered us three hundred thousand jewel to clear his name." Gray and Noelle exchanged grins.

"He also says if we don't have his name cleared by tomorrow, he's going to the police," Loke told them, turning their smiles into frowns.

"Well, that ups the ante a bit," Gray said, frowning now.

"We're in pursuit of Carlisle now," Noelle told their comrade.

"I'm going to give the marquise a call and let her know about Edison's threat," Loke said.

"You two be careful," he told them, "I'm renting a magic car to try to catch up with you since the marquise has offered to cover all our expenses while on the case."

"Good thinking," Noelle noted, "Hope to see you soon."

"And I, you, my queen," he said flirtatiously. Noelle rolled her eyes. Gray grimaced as he hung up forcefully.

Noelle and Gray skimmed over the other passengers as they walked down the aisle of the train. They'd seen Carlisle board from the security footage, recognizing him despite the sunglasses he wore. He'd been one of the first to board, and they were lucky to have caught sight of him when they did, giving them just enough time to make it to the station.

"He likely paid the extra for a private room," Gray murmured.

"If I were a wanted criminal, that's what I would do," Noelle said quietly.

"We probably shouldn't start a fight on the train anyway," Gray chuckled.

"Probably not," Noelle agreed, returning his grin.

The two walked up all of the aisles in couch just in case. When they entered the last car, Noelle gasped slightly and quickly shoved Gray into the empty seats at their right.

"He's here!" she whispered excitedly, making Gray's eyes widen. She motioned her head forward pointedly.

Gray looked up over the seats, attempting to be inconspicuous and indeed caught sight of their perp. Carlisle still wore the sunglasses he'd had on in the footage they'd seen of him at the train station and was sunk down low in the seat as he seemed to casually read a book. His eyes flitted around the car every so often though, making Gray duck back down when he noticed him checking the area.

"So I guess we wait and see where he gets off," Gray said, ducking lower into the seat and shifting closer to Noelle. Noelle leaned into the aisle slightly, eyeing their target. Carlisle was middle aged, handsome, and well toned, with dirty blonde hair and chiseled features. Noelle couldn't help wondering what had led him down his path of crime. A ping suddenly sounded from Gray's lacrima phone, startling her and making her slide back towards Gray.

Gray smirked when she jumped, making her scowl at him. He opened the text he'd received from Loke, his smile fading before he cursed.


	7. Chapter 4: Summer Snow

"What's wrong?" Noelle asked, her blue eyes filled with concern.

"The fiance is missing," Gray told her. Noelle cursed.

"I was hoping we'd have bagged Carlisle before he realized we were suspicious of him," Noelle whispered, chewing her lip.

"I think it confirms our suspicions though. He's either headed to carry out whatever he planned to use the candle for, or he's making a run for it," Gray said.

"I just hope Loke doesn't run into him," Noelle said, "I'd hate for him to end up in a brawl on his own." Gray nodded in agreement, hoping their friend would be okay. Neither of them had any idea what kind of magic Patrick Riley used or what he was capable of.

The train was arriving at it's third stop when Carlisle finally made his move. Gray and Noelle counted to ten once he exited the car before pursuing him so not to immediately set him off. They had to be careful not to let him suspect they were following him or he may enact his magic and they'd lose him.

Gray sent Loke a message informing him of their location. Noelle kept her eyes on Carlisle, making note of the bulky messenger bag he carried as they followed him through the small crowd at Flora Town station. Noelle let out an audible gasp as she realized where they were.

"Gray," she said, grabbing his arm. He faced her, finding panic in her eyes.

"Blue Pegasus," she blurted, making him give her a puzzled look.

"Their guildhall is here," she said, "He didn't leave Blue Pegasus." Gray's eyes went wide.

"He was kicked out," Gray breathed.

"They're the target," she said, and the two moved more hurriedly towards Carlisle. They followed him around a corner and found him stopped on the sidewalk, a lacrima phone held up to his ear. The two quickly hid back behind the corner, trying desperately to overhear him.

"What?!" they heard him stammer, "You said I wouldn't have to worry about the damn fairies!" Gray and Noelle exchanged uneasy glances.

"Look, I didn't sign up for a fight," he said with annoyance into the phone, "Plucking fairy wings cost extra."

"Greedy bastard," Noelle grumbled.

"That's what I like to hear," he said with a grin. He hung up the phone and began moving again.

"We need to be careful," Noelle said to Gray, who nodded.

"We'll try to wait for a block with fewer people and get the drop on him," Gray said. They waited a few moments and began trailing him once more. Noelle wrapped her arm around Gray's, feigning laughter when she noticed Carlisle looking over his shoulder. Gray smiled down at her, playing along with her charade. They watched him round a corner and quickened their pace, but as they turned, they lost sight of him.

"But how?" Gray whispered, glancing around the nearly empty street.

"Like this," they heard a deep voice coming from behind them. Noelle hissed in pain as her arm was twisted behind her back, a tight grip held her other arm by the wrist. Carlisle suddenly appeared, letting go of his invisibility as he took Noelle hostage. She gritted her teeth as pulled her arm further behind her painfully.

"Looks like I've caught a fairy," he chuckled.

"Let her go, now," Gray warned, his gaze darkening.

"I don't think I will," Carlisle said, leaning into Noelle's ear, his breath tickling the shell. She tried to tug away from him, but his grip held her tightly.

"Pretty little fairy, what do you think I should do with you?" he taunted, ignoring the sudden chill that had seeped into the air.

"I'm warning you," Gray said, his fists tightening, "I suggest you let her go."

"Hey, I'm the one who'll be making threats around here!" Carlisle barked, "What is it you think you're going to do?!"

"Oh, _I'm_ not going to do anything," Gray said, a smirk on his lips. Noelle opened her palms suddenly, unleashing her magic. Ice shot out, hitting Carlisle square in the chest. He yelped as he was knocked back by the freezing pain and released his hold on Noelle's arms. Noelle turned, taking a defensive stance, but Carlisle recovered from the surprise attack quickly. He rushed towards Noelle, vanishing in thin air a few steps in front of her. She was prepared though, and sent a blast of powdered snow at him just as he disappeared, making him look ghostly. She dodged his attack, hearing him curse.

Gray lashed at him, landing a blow to his stomach and knocking him against the wall behind him with so much force it left the bricks indented. Carlisle shimmered back into focus briefly, dropping his messenger bag before reactivating his spell, this time turning Noelle's snow invisible with him and moved before she could blast him again, leaving a coating of snow on the side of the building.

Gray was knocked back by their invisible foe, taking a rough punch to the face. He cursed as he wiped at the corner of his mouth, only for another blow to connect with his stomach.

"Gray!" Noelle called out to him as she sent another blast of snow towards what she hoped was their assailant, luckily hitting him in the shoulder. While Carlisle took a moment to repair his spell, Gray countered.

"Ice-Make," he called out, his right fist in his left palm, "Hammer!" A large hammer made of ice materialized over Carlisle's form and dropped onto him swiftly with a loud crash, a dust cloud forming.

As it cleared, they caught sight of Carlisle breathing heavily, bruises covering his shoulders and neck before he flickered from sight again.

"Damn it," Gray cursed, "Ice-Make, Shield!" Gray's icy shield erected in the nick of time, Carlisle's fist connecting with it roughly. They heard his voice howl in pain.

"We're not going to get anywhere like this," Noelle murmured to herself. Her eyes widened as she noticed the footprints left in the random splotches of snow that littered the area. She smirked to herself as she had an idea. Gray could feel the air shift around him as he attempted to parry Carlisle's invisible attacks with little success, blood trickling from his mouth.

A flurry of blue magic shot from Noelle's hands into the sky, and exploded like a firework, making snow fall all around them, covering the ground in the white powder. Gray grinned, catching on to her idea. Carlisle stood directly in front of Gray looking ghost like, once more covered in snow.

"Idiot fairies," Carlisle snickered as he shimmered back into view only to vanish once more, taking the snow with him. Gray smirked as Carlisle moved to attack him once more, except this time Gray could see his footprints in the snow that blanketed the ground. He easily pivoted, avoiding the attack and countered, slamming his elbow into Carlisle's back. He fell to the ground, and cursed as he saw the print his body made.

"You bitch!" they heard him shout. He leapt to his feet and dashed towards Noelle angrily, only to be met with her knee into his stomach, making him sputter. He lowered himself, swiping out his leg to kick Noelle's legs out from under her. She fell backwards, landing on her rump, but shot a ball of ice at his chest again, knocking him back down before he could scramble away. His face was met with Gray's knee as he tried to get up once more. He fell to the ground on his side, flickering back into view, his face covered in bruises.

Gray erected a cage made of ice around Carlisle, trapping him within. Noelle walked over and picked up the messenger bag that Carlisle had left by the wall, opening it. She smiled, pulling out the golden candelabra. The two candles connecting to the sides seemed normal enough, but the one in the center was thicker with runes etched into the wax. She slipped it back into the bag for safe keeping and pulled out a slip of paper that had been tucked in a side pocket. She unfolded it, finding one of Carlisle's wanted posters. She smirked upon reading it.

"Look, Gray," she said, showing him the poster, "There's a reward for catching him alive."

"Hey, wait!" Carlisle begged from his make-shift prison, slowly pulling himself to his knees, "I'll talk if you don't turn me in."

"I'll tell you who was paying me!" he said frantically, holding himself up on the bars around him.

"Which is why I'm going to have to kill you as well as the fairies," all three jumped at Patrick's voice. Gray and Noelle took fighting stances in front of Carlisle's cage, prepared to fight.

"What'd you do to get kicked out of Blue Pegasus?" Noelle asked, goading him. His smirk twisted into a sneer before spitting onto the still snow covered ground.

"Stuck up bastards," he started, his fists clenched, "Guild wizards think you're so high and mighty."

He launched himself at them then, but they side stepped to avoid him. Gray, unable to move as far as Noelle with Carlisle's cage in the way, found himself covered in a strange powder.

"What is this stuff?" he muttered, trying to shake it off him, only to begin feeling light headed. Patrick turned, facing them again with a confident grin. Gray began to see double and fell to one knee. He kept a hand on the ground to support himself.

"Gray!" Noelle shouted in worry and began to run towards him, but Patrick attacked again. A thick, spiky wall of ice shot from the ground. His fist collided with it, cracking but not shattering it. Gray slumped to the ground a moment later, unconscious.

" _Gray_!" she shouted again, her voice full of dread as she came to his side, finding his breathing shallow. She started to touch his face, but stopped, remembering the powder Patrick had covered him in.

"What did you do to him?" she shouted, turning angry eyes on their assailant. Patrick chuckled as he stepped around the wall of ice she'd created.

"Poison magic," he said, a wicked grin on his lips, "I'm afraid your friend doesn't have much time left." Noelle's eyes went wide, tears brimming them, before they narrowed, anger seeping into her.

"And neither do you," Patrick boasted before running towards her once more. She stood almost casually and faced him, when her eyes met his, Patrick halted. Noelle's eyes had turned completely white. In an instance, the sunny summer sky turned dark with clouds and the temperature dropped to below freezing. She raised her hand towards him, an unnatural wind now whipping around carrying ice shards and snow.

With a flick of her wrist, a spike of ice shot up from the ground. Patrick barely managed to dodge, rolling sideways to avoid it. The ice shards in the wind sliced at him as he gasped. Two spikes were produced, and he rolled again, this time getting nicked in the leg in the process, blood seeped from the gash. He looked at her with panic in his eyes.

"It's not gonna kill him!" he shouted, trying to be heard over the winter storm around him. A piece of ice cut into his face, making him wince, a thin line of blood trickled down his cheek.

"He's... he's not dead!" he shouted before rolling again to dodge another spike.

"It's sleep magic!" he said, trying to reason with her, but she was blinded in her grief, her magic now controlling her.

"Please, lady, listen to me!" he begged, pleading for his life. He was wedged between several spikes of ice now and the wound on his leg was slowing him down. If he made one wrong move...

A hand grabbed hold of her wrist suddenly.

"Noelle, stop!" Loke's voice broke through. Noelle blinked slowly, her eyes focusing as if coming out of a trance. She looked around, seeing the spikes of ice all around her, and Patrick in the middle, shaking as blood leaked from his leg. She began shaking violently and fell against Loke, tears falling freely from her eyes as he held her. All at once, her magic receded; the sky cleared, the wind died.

"Gray's alright," he told her, "It's sleep magic." She cried heavily, her head buried in his chest.

"He was bluffing, sweet girl," Loke soothed. He looked over her head at the man sitting a few feet from them, shivering in a mix of cold, pain, and fear.

"And it was the worst mistake he ever made."


	8. Chapter 5: Comrades

Loke called first the Rune Knights, and then Marquise Sayuri.

"Forgive us, My Lady, I know we promised discretion," he began, "But I'm afraid we must insist the authorities take the guilty into custody."

"I understand," she said, sadness in her voice, "I just can't believe Patrick would betray me this way."

"He's confessed, My Lady," Loke explained, "And Carlisle has corroborated." Gray began to come to as Loke wrapped up the call with their employer.

"My head," he groaned, lifting his hand to his forehead to sooth the ache. He sat up, glancing around with blinking eyes.

"What the hell happened?" he asked as Loke hung up the lacrima phone.

"Patrick used Sleep Magic on you," Loke explained. Gray looked around, his sight finally cooperating. Spikes of ice were jutting from the ground all around him. Patrick sat on the side of the cage Gray had made for Carlisle, one hand cuffed to the bars. It'd taken a lot of coaxing from Loke to get Noelle to make the simple handcuffs of ice. She'd been terrified to lose control once more.

Gray noticed Patrick's wounds and began searching around frantically before his eyes found her. Noelle sat against the wall on the far side of the street, her knees drawn up, and starring blankly down at her hands. Gray had an inkling as to what may have happened after he passed out. He stood too quickly and grew dizzy.

"Take it easy, man," Loke warned, stepping towards him, but Gray shook it off, steadying himself before walking slowly to Noelle and sitting next to her. They sat in silence together as the Rune Knights showed up and began questioning Loke. Gray tried to take hold of Noelle's hand, but she flinched, jerking her hands against her chest, but making her finally look over at him. Her blue eyes were puffy and rimmed red. Gray offered her a small smile and slowly reached towards her, taking one of her hands into his, pulling it away from her chest.

"It's okay," he said quietly, but Noelle shook her head.

"I lost it," she said, "I haven't done that in..." She trailed off, unsure of the last time she'd lost control. Gray just silently held her hand, unsure of what to say. He couldn't remember the last time she'd really lost control either. Judging from the scene around him, he wasn't sure he'd ever seen her lose control quite like this.

"I thought..." she began, her voice shaking, "I thought you were gone." Gray squeezed her hand.

"I don't really remember it," she told him, "Everything went white."

"When Loke called my name, grabbed my arm, I snapped out of it," she said, "If he hadn't shown up when he did, I might've... I could've killed him."

"I don't care," he said softly, making her look at him once more.

"If you did, it would've been out of defense of a guild mate. No one would blame you for that," Gray assured her.

"But I should've been trying to save you!" she spat, her eyes clenching closed. Gray sighed, hating seeing her this way.

"I lost control, and it could've cost you your life," she said, tears rimming her eyes, "If he hadn't been bluffing..." Noelle tried to pull her hand away from him, but he squeezed it tighter.

"But he _was_ ," Gray said, "Noelle, you can't do this to yourself."

"But what if it happens again?" she asked, a tear slipping down her cheek. Gray used his other hand to wipe it away.

"Then you're friends will be there to help you," he told her.

* * *

The Rune Knights arrested the assailants and brought the Marquise and Master Bob of Blue Pegasus in for questioning. Gray and Noelle had stayed behind for questioning as well, while Loke headed back to Orchid City to collect their belongings from the hotel. Noelle couldn't help thinking he was acting strangely, as if he didn't want to see Master Bob, but she shook it off.

"Oh, Dear, yes I'm afraid he was cast out of the guild a few years ago after his arrest," Bob confirmed what Noelle had suspected of the Marquise's fiance.

"He'd been caught robbing a financial guild," Bob continued, "We couldn't very well let him stay and tarnish the Blue Pegasus name."

"We have his arrest record," the leader of the group of magic police said, "It would seem he was released last year for good behavior, but skipped out on his parole." The Marquise was obviously holding back tears, unable to believe his deception.

"I found this," she said, handing a paper to the police, "It's his financial report." She sniffled, attempting to pull herself together.

"I believe he used the allowance I gave him to pay Carlisle," she informed them. Noelle offered her a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I just don't understand his animosity towards Blue Pegasus," Gray said, almost questioningly, "It's his own fault for getting kicked out." Master Bob grimaced sadly.

"I'm afraid I do understand," he said, sadly, "A letter was delivered to the guild addressed to him during his time in prison."

"His mother had passed away," he continued after a moments hesitation, "They hadn't the money to pay for her medical expenses, and a terrible disease took her. I believe that's why he'd tried to rob the financial guild in the first place. It would seem he blamed me for her passing." Noelle and Gray looked downcast.

"If he'd only told me, I would've done everything I could to help her," Bob said, resting his hand against his chin.

"As sad as that may be, there is no excuse for his crimes," the policeman stated, "Tragedy does not rise us above the law." Noelle's eyes clenched closed, remembering how she'd nearly killed Patrick for what he'd down to Gray. She was no better than he was. Gray seemed to sense her turmoil and gripped her hand in his own.

"Well, Fairy Tail Wizards, while I believe a bit of excessive force was used, you managed not to destroy anything," the policeman said, "So well done." The man promised them the reward for delivering Carlisle would be sent to them.

Marquise Sayuri and Master Bob both thanked them, the Marquise handing over the jewel promised to them. Gray thanked her as she headed away with her bodyguards towards the train station after a small bow of gratitude. The Blue Flame Candle she left in the care of the Rune Knights and the Magic Council, hopefully safer now in their hands.

Master Bob took hold of Noelle's hand suddenly, making her look at him with sullen eyes.

"Our comrades are the most important things in this world, my dear," he told her with a cheerful smile, "Without them, a guild is nothing more than an empty building." He released Noelle's hand and gently lifted her chin, finally bringing a smile to her lips. He thanked them once more before heading on his way.

"Come on, Noelle," Gray said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her against him, "Let's go home."

* * *

It hadn't taken long for council to deliver the reward for Carlisle's capture to Fairy Tail's master, who would be responsible for passing it along to those who'd earned it. Makarov had already heard of what had happened through Master Bob, but was none the less surprised to find an official warning from the Council for Noelle, bidding her to practice restraint in the future or face repercussions. The Master grimaced, attempting to picture anyone trying to restrain the girl who the people of Fiore now referred to as the Snow Queen. He chuckled at the irony of her nickname, those who used it none the wiser of her true heritage.

He willed fire into his hand, setting the warning ablaze and turning it to ash. It was true, the girl's magic was an interesting force of nature, powerful and wild at times. He'd figured out early on that her emotions were a key factor in her control and had spent many hours training her. When she'd returned from her job, Makarov had simply reminded her of that training and she promised not to forget her daily mediation. He knew she was no threat to society.

However, despite being relatively new to their guild, he saw that she was fiercely loyal and loved her guildmates with an unbridled passion. The only threat she posed was to those who would threaten the ones she cared for.

He pitied anyone fool enough to try.


End file.
